Tony "Tiger" Baltazar
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Tony "Tiger" Baltazar
2011 California Boxing Hall Of Fame inductees
Our late body shop .Notice the boxing gloves under the phone number, by the door.
Pomona,Ca.
Tony "Tiger" Baltazar
Tony "Tiger" Baltazar with co-trainer, Jimmy Montoya
1951 Fight For Life
In 1951 I was a fifteen year old kid riding the street car to the Teamsters Gym in downtown L.A. to spar with Keeny Teran as he was getting ready for his fight with Gil Cadilli. Keeny and Gil were two hot prospects at the time, back then prospects didn’t shy away from fighting each other once they reach the six round class.
Fight nite came, June 22, 1951. Keeny and Gil are fighting the six round semi. The main was Enrique Bolanos vs. Eddie Chavez in a twelve rounder. The Teran/Cadilli fight was between two cross-town rivals, a fight that on its own merits would have sold out the Legion, but being that the Bolanos/Chavez fight was the 1951 “Fight For Life” where some of the gate proceeds would go to the City Of Hope Cancer Hospital and that the Fight For Life was a big yearly event it was decided to put the fight in a six rounder. It was a good idea, because as my uncles and I walked into the sold out, smoke filled Hollywood Legion Stadium you could feel the electricity in the air and we knew we were in for a good nite of boxing.
The fight was an exciting fight that ended in a draw, in the main Bolanos won a decision.
your lucky to have seen that fight frank. the cadilli-terran fight might be the most famous 6 rounder in california history. with you and hap navarro that makes at least 2 guys here at the zone that were there. i would have loved to have been there but was not born for another year.
greg
Yes Greg, I was lucky to have seen that fight, and so many other fights from Los Angeles golden era. So many top Los Angeles fighters fought in that era week in and week out.Originally Posted by gregbeyer
your lucky to have seen that fight frank. the cadilli-terran fight might be the most famous 6 rounder in california history. with you and hap navarro that makes at least 2 guys here at the zone that were there. i would have loved to have been there but was not born for another year.
greg
The Teran/Cadilli was one of the most famous boxing rivalries in Los Angeles boxing history. I would have loved to seen them in a ten rounder.
Our Hap Navarro is the one who made the fight, he was the prelim matchmaker at the legion at the time, he was told by people that there was no way he could make that fight, he gave it his best and he prevail, and that was good for us boxing fans from that era...
Lifes journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally, worn out, " SHOUTING" Holy Shit !!! What a ride!!!
I like that one. I am getting closer to being worn out.
Thanks for the reminder.
Wing master
Take it easy Randy...LOL!!
My son, Tony "The Tiger", turns 50 years old today.
Dang, He doesn't look a day over 49. LOL Happy Birthday Tony.
How is he doing since the accident? Last I heard he was making great progress.
Wing master
happy birthday tiger !
greg
Randy, Greg, Tony sends his heart felt thanks...
hey frank,
did you know that tony is on espn classics today ? here in washington at 5pm. they are showing the camacho fight.
greg
No, I didn't know. But I seen that fight 3-4 times on ESPN already. Thanks for the heads up, I'll see it again.
Tony Baltazar (R) and Victor ?...circa 1984
I received this E-Mail some months back and thought I would share it with you now that I found it again
If this is Frank, Sr. my name is Steve Corbo.
When I lived in LA back in the mid 1970's I was a fan of yours and Frankie, Jr.. This goes back to 1976 - 1977. Tony was just a kid coming up, but Frankie had already turned pro and was starting to make a name for himself. (I later became a fan of Tony's)! I saw Frankie fight several times at the Olympic and knew he was something special. Man, I used to live at the Olympic... every Thursday night. Those were some of the best times I ever had. I worked out at Hoover Street Gym a few times, also went to Hollenbeck Youth Center once or twice. Would go up to Main Street Gym just to see who was there. I never fought pro and wasn't much of an amateur but I love the game and its still in my blood.
I was a pro judge in Illinois for many years also heavily involved for many years with the Chicago Golden Gloves. Over the years I worked with a couple of pro fighters. In recent years I have been doing some ring announcing. Mostly in Europe, but have done the undercard announcing on some HBO and Showtime Cards... working with Buffer and Lennon, Jr. Of course I vividly remember and knew Jimmy, Sr. I also have done the backup PA Announcing for the Chicago Blackhawks.
I met you and your sons many years ago in LA. You would have no reason to remember me, but I remember you guys fondly and with a lot of respect! Especially for the way you worked with Frankie and Tony. It is a rare thing in boxing to have a father-son team that actually works and you guys sure made it work well!
I was privileged to have seen so many great fighters in person, at the Olympic in the years I lived in LA... 1975 - 1978. I think I was blessed to have seen some of the greatest in the game! I still remember, like it was yesterday, seeing one of my favorite fights of all time... Albert "Superfly" Sandoval vs Alfonso Zamora at the Olympic. Never did see Frankie vs Juan Escobar, I was no longer in LA by that time. Hear it was a great fight!
I always felt your boys were class acts and certainly world class fighters. The were Champions! I am glad to read all three of you are in the Hall of Fame and doing well. I think I have a picture of Frankie from back around 1976 or '77 that I took at the Olympic! Time sure flies.
Was just looking on the Internet, found this email and thought I'd see if it is you and send my regards. So Best Regards and Thanks For All that you have Given to The Sport of Boxing!
Steve Corbo
Just watch the movie "The Fighter", Great Movie!!. When the movie first came out I was not crazy about watching it, first of all I am not a movie guy, second, I didn't think that Mickey Ward's boxing career was worthy of a movie, I still don't think it is. But the movie is more about the Ward family than his boxing career, and what a family!, is "dysfunctional" too strong a word??...After watching this movie my appreciation for my family as far as the boys boxing careers go, just grew by leaps and bounds....Melissa Leo and Christian Bale stole the show...
Alexander Martinez: I Can Remember The Snapped Left Simi Hook Tony Baltazar Delivered in 58 secs. of the 1st. round KO to John Montes Jr.. Tony a Young Gentelmen in letting him fall face down to the canvas without delivery another Blow. Lesson To Life is that it only takes a Split Second to change one's road in life. Good or Bad. You Choose.
"La Primavera" my favorite time of the year...
Time for nature's two-legged creatures (that's us) to frolic with wild abandon!!
June 26,1982
Los Angeles, California, United States
Frankie Baltazar W Abe Perez KO 2 10
Henry Contreras W Manuel Cruz KO 1
Tony Baltazar W Raul Bencomo KO 2
John Montes W Manuel Abedoy KO 2
Thats a great picture Frank.
Keep em coming.
Randy
The above photo is the Olympic Auditorium, below is
a photo of the Hollywood Legion Stadium....The legion did not have a gallery.
I didn't realize those places were that big. Any idea how many seats?
Randy
The Olympic sat 10,400+, the legion 6,000+....Randy, When, I first started going to the Olympic and the legion in the late '40's, they were weekly sell-outs, or close to it. It was the Golden Age of Boxing in what was then the mecca of boxing in the west coast, Los Angeles...
Thats really amazing to sellout weekley events that big. In the time I have been researching my uncles career it seems that the Olympic was as important to boxing as Madison Square Garden. And the Legion was very close behind them.
I have always thought that if I had a time machine I would go back to 1935 and hang around these two places. I can't imagine the energy there on fight night.
Randy
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